The Holy Martyr Agatha of Palermo in Sicily

Commemorated February 5/18

In our society today, everything is bigger and better. It's not enough to have a TV, you have to have a big screen or a plasma. It's not enough to have a cell phone, you have to have an i-Phone so you can take pictures, videos, listen to music, watch movies, send e-mails and so on and so on. It's not enough to have a purse or a pair of jeans if they aren't made by the right designer. The problem is that all of this stuff costs a lot of money, but we HAVE to have it. Why? Because everyone else does!

What does this have to do with the Martyr Agatha? Well, Agatha lived in the mid- third century, when Christianity was still suffering through persecutions. She also came from a wealthy family. Not only was she wealthy but she was beautiful as well. The emperor at the time, Decius, had her arrested so she could be put on trial for being a Christian.

While she waited for her trial, she wasn't put in prison. Instead, she lived with another very wealthy woman who had five daughters. Because she was wealthy, you could imagine that her five daughters had all the best stuff for the time. This was the emperor's plan. He figured that he could tempt Agatha with fine clothes and entertainment. He assumed that if he offered her enough "stuff" she would forsake Christ and offer sacrifice to the pagan gods.

Agatha, of course, remained strong. She refused to give in, or to deny Christ. She was eventually martyred at the incredibly young age of 15!

Imagine today being offered all the latest electronic equipment, or tickets to all your favorite concerts, or an unending spending spree to your favorite stores. Imagine if the only thing you had to do to get it all was to deny Christ. The Holy Martyr Agatha is a great example for all young people. She came from a wealthy family and she could have had anything she wanted, but her faith in Christ came first. She knew that all the material things in the world, while appealing, were only temporary, and her true treasure awaited her in heaven.

We all can get caught up in the fancy things that the world has to offer, but we, like Agatha, have to remember that Christ comes first. After all, you don't need an i-Phone to talk to Christ!